Behind the Burner TM

Featured Recipes

Charlie's Chocolate Pudding Cake by Chef François Payard

Makes 10-12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

Vegetable cooking spray, for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz. 50% chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup heavy cream

Glaze:

7 oz. 50% chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 3/4 tablespoon heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temprature

PREPARATION:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Dust it with flour, shaking off the excess and set aside.

3. Bring the butter to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and eggs together until just combined. Stir in the chocolate mixture, then the cream. Pour the batter into a prepared pan.

5. Bake for 18 minutes, then put a piece of aluminium foil and a baking sheet over the top of the cake, to keep it from rising too much and keep it moist. Lower the oven temperature to 360 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. The cake will be just set around the edges and very loose in the middle, like a pudding.

6. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool to room temperature while still in the pan. Place in the freezer for at least 45 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Additional Recipes

Tips, Tricks and Techniques

Fresh Brioche is best for this Chocolate French Toast recipe, but leftover bread can also be used
Use a very dark, bittersweet cocoa powder: the cake is rich enough without the extra sugar
For a more intense natural flavor, fresh vanilla beans are always best!
Make sure to freeze the French toast, once soaked in the cocoa mixture, on a parchment -covered baking sheet. This is done so the chocolate doesn't fall out of the French toast sandwich before it is cooked in the honey
Don't let the honey caramelize, just allow the flavors to melt together

Glaze when the cake is cold, you want the glaze to set, not melt right off the cake
Make sure to serve cake at room temperature to be able to taste the chocolate flavor in its natural state
Learn from the best chocolatier! Pick up a hand-signed copy of Francois Payard's cookbook Chocolate Epiphany and enjoy Payard truffles and fondue by visiting our Featured Promotions. It doesn't get any sweeter than this!